The New York Department of Health (“Department”) has circulated a revised Advisory on return-to-work protocols for healthcare personnel after infection or exposure to COVID-19. Once published, the new protocols, dated...more
On September 14, 2022, the New York State Department of Health updated its COVID-19 quarantine and isolation webpage to remove earlier written COVID-19 guidance and tables dated May 31, 2022 (the “May Guidance”). The webpage...more
9/20/2022
/ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employer Responsibilities ,
Health and Safety ,
Infectious Diseases ,
New Guidance ,
New York ,
Public Health ,
Quarantine ,
Workplace Safety
On August 2, 2022, the New York State Department of Health (the “Department”) issued revised guidance regarding daily health screenings and related policies for home care staff. Specifically, the new guidance reduces the...more
8/26/2022
/ Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Health Care Providers ,
Home Health Agencies ,
Home Health Care ,
Home Healthcare Workers ,
Infectious Diseases ,
New Guidance ,
New York ,
Screening Procedures ,
Workplace Safety
On February 18, 2022, the New York Department of Health issued a press release stating that to avoid potential staffing issues and to allow NY healthcare workers more time to become boosted against COVID-19, the booster...more
2/18/2022
/ Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Deadlines ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employer Mandates ,
Essential Workers ,
Health Care Providers ,
Healthcare Facilities ,
Healthcare Workers ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Vaccinations ,
Workplace Safety
On February 9, 2022, New York State Governor Kathy Hochul announced that the state is largely discontinuing the mandate that businesses require proof of vaccination or masks to enter the premises. The mandate will remain in...more
2/11/2022
/ Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employer Responsibilities ,
Health and Essential Rights (HERO) Act ,
Health and Safety ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Masks ,
New Guidance ,
New York ,
Personal Protective Equipment ,
Public Health ,
Vaccinations ,
Vaccine Passports ,
Workplace Safety
On January 13, 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court, in a 5-4 decision, lifted lower court injunctions that had blocked enforcement in 25 states of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Interim Final Rule requiring...more
1/14/2022
/ Biden Administration ,
Biden v Missouri ,
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employer Mandates ,
Essential Workers ,
Healthcare Facilities ,
Healthcare Workers ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Preliminary Injunctions ,
Stays ,
Vaccinations ,
Workplace Safety
As previously reported, New York City’s vaccination mandate for private employers goes into effect on December 27, 2021. This measure, issued as an order from the New York City health commissioner in response to a public...more
12/17/2021
/ Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Emergency Management Plans ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employer Mandates ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Local Ordinance ,
Masks ,
New York ,
Public Health Emergency ,
Vaccinations ,
Workplace Safety
There have been significant developments in the legal challenges brought against the interim final rule of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (“CMS rule”), which requires vaccination of all healthcare workers at...more
12/17/2021
/ Biden Administration ,
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employer Mandates ,
Essential Workers ,
Health Care Providers ,
Healthcare Facilities ,
Healthcare Workers ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Preliminary Injunctions ,
Vaccinations ,
Workplace Safety
Dear Littler: The holiday season is upon us, and we’d like to celebrate this year by holding an actual office party like we did in the “before” times. Prior to 2020, we held luncheons in our New Jersey branch office for...more
11/30/2021
/ Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employees ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Policies ,
Events ,
Exempt-Employees ,
Holiday Parties ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Reasonable Accommodation ,
Vaccinations ,
Vaccine Passports ,
Workplace Safety
On November 4, 2021, the Biden administration and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued an interim final rule requiring healthcare worker...more
11/5/2021
/ Biden Administration ,
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employer Mandates ,
Essential Workers ,
Executive Orders ,
Health and Safety ,
Healthcare Facilities ,
Healthcare Workers ,
Infectious Diseases ,
OSHA ,
Vaccinations ,
Virus Testing ,
Workplace Safety
New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced on November 1, 2021 that she signed legislation expanding the definition of “family member” under the New York Paid Family Leave Act to include “siblings,” effective January 1, 2023. ...more
On September 23, 2021, the New York State Department of Labor updated its requirements for face coverings contained in its model airborne infectious disease exposure prevention plan. ...more
9/24/2021
/ Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Health and Essential Rights (HERO) Act ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Masks ,
New York ,
Occupational Exposure ,
Personal Protective Equipment ,
Safety Standards ,
Vaccinations ,
Workplace Safety
On September 6, 2021, the New York State commissioner of health designated COVID-19 as a highly contagious communicable disease, thereby triggering certain requirements under the New York Health and Essential Rights (HERO)...more
On August 16, 2021, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced that all healthcare workers in New York State, including staff at hospitals and long-term care facilities such as nursing homes, adult care facilities and other...more
8/19/2021
/ Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Emergency Management Plans ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Essential Workers ,
Health and Safety ,
Health Care Providers ,
Healthcare Workers ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Long Term Care Facilities ,
Nursing Homes ,
Public Health Emergency ,
Vaccinations ,
Workplace Safety
Effective May 19, 2021, New York State has adopted the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s May 13 “Interim Public Health Recommendations for Fully Vaccinated People” for most commercial operations and public...more
5/21/2021
/ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Health and Safety ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Masks ,
New Guidance ,
Personal Protective Equipment ,
Social Distancing ,
State and Local Government ,
Vaccinations ,
Workplace Safety
On April 1, 2021, the New York Department of Health (NY DOH) issued an update to its prior guidance for health care personnel on returning to work following COVID-19 exposure....more
On March 12, 2021, Governor Andrew Cuomo signed legislation providing all public and private employees in New York up to four hours of paid leave per vaccine injection to obtain a COVID-19 vaccine....more
On January 20, 2021, approximately 10 months after the state of New York enacted the NY COVID-19 Paid Sick Leave Law, the New York Department of Labor (NY DOL) issued new guidance that seeks to clarify the benefits available...more
On October 20, 2020, New York State issued its first guidance on the New York State Sick Leave Law (New York Labor Law § 196-b) (NYSSLL). The guidance, titled “New York State Paid Sick Leave FAQ” (FAQ) appears on the state’s...more